Opportunities for classical biological control of weeds in European overseas territories

European overseas territories are home to biodiversity and endemism of worldwide importance, vastly superior to that of continental Europe as a whole. They are, however, much more threatened by invasive species, including hundreds of alien invasive plant species having a huge impact on natural and agricultural habitats. As in continental Europe, invasive plants have only recently been recognized as a threat to the local environment and biodiversity. Mechanical and chemical control programmes - underway for several decades - have not been entirely successful for permanent, cost effective, environment-friendly management. Biological control of weeds has long been successfully used in other neighbouring countries with similar climates, environmental conditions and invasions, but has barely been implemented in European overseas territories. There have been very few attempts to set up cIassical biological control programmes in these regions - a few of the species that have been the focus of biological control are Lantana camara L.. Rubus alceifolius Poir., Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw., Acanthocereus tetragonus (L.) Britton & Rose, Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume, Miconia calvescens DC., Ulex europaeus L., Prosopis juliflora (SW.) DC., and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. Many invasive plants occurring in European overseas territoties are also invasive elsewhere and already targets of biological control programmes. Biological control agent specificity requires particular attention due to the high level of endemism in such islands. This paper reviews some of the most threatening species for which classical biological control could be achieved through regional or international collaboration. (Résumé d'auteur

Aid, development and English language teaching : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The past few decades have seen the ascendancy of English as the global language of business and international interaction and as a result it has come to be viewed in the minds of many policy makers as fundamental to development. Accordingly English language instruction programmes have increasingly been integrated into development programmes both at a domestic recipient and international donor level. These programmes are frequently framed within the paradigms of empowerment and capacity building yet little readily accessible research seems to be available regarding the practical role English language aid programmes may play in these processes with most examination seeming to be centred either on discourse debate or cost/benefit analysis of programmes. This thesis endeavours to examine the perceptions of recipients and providers regarding the provision of English language instruction programmes. It finds that despite a provider focus on institutional capacity building extrinsic, primarily economic, considerations ensure that there is a strong recipient demand for these programmes. It also finds that, even with an increasing provider desire to use participatory paradigms, programme parameters are still largely determined by providers due to their control of funds. By reason of this the efficacy of English language instruction in promoting recipient empowerment and capacity building remains open to question

Tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa: opportunities, challenges, and change in the era of antiretroviral treatment.

Rapid scale-up of antiretroviral treatment programmes is happening in Africa, driven by international advocacy and policy directives and supported by unprecedented donor funding and technical assistance. This welcome development offers hope to millions of HIV-infected Africans, among whom tuberculosis is the major cause of serious illness and death. Little in the way of HIV diagnosis or care was previously offered to patients with tuberculosis, by either national tuberculosis or AIDS control programmes, with tuberculosis services focused exclusively on diagnosis and treatment of rising numbers of patients. Tuberculosis control in Africa has yet to adapt to the new climate of antiretroviral availability. Many barriers exist, from drug interactions to historic differences in the way that tuberculosis and HIV are perceived, but failure to successfully integrate HIV and tuberculosis control will threaten the viability of both programmes. Here, we review tuberculosis epidemiology in Africa and policy implications of HIV/AIDS treatment scale-up

Labour Markets and Wages Policies During Economic Transition

This article discusses among others the Pazos-Simonsen Mechanism - short term wage controls as a means of abrogating existing wage contracts, short serm wage controls as a mechanism for co-ordinating expectations and short term wage controls in semi-heterodox stabilization programmes as well as medium term wage controls in semi-shock Stabilization Programmes in Post-communist economies.price control, wage control, post-communistic economies, transformation

Sustainable control of Anopheles mosquito population

Despite the widespread use of insecticides, community engagement programmes and preventive measures mosquito borne diseases are growing and new tools to prevent the spread of disease are urgently needed. An alternative control measure for the eradication of Anopheles mosquitoes is suggested by the use of a Sustainable Control Model, which demonstrates the capability of Odonata, a natural beneficial predator, to exercise control over Anopheles mosquitoes in less than 140 days

Past and Ongoing Tsetse and Animal Trypanosomiasis Control Operations in Five African Countries: A Systematic Review

Background Control operations targeting Animal African Trypanosomiasis and its primary vector, the tsetse, were covering approximately 128,000 km2 of Africa in 2001, which is a mere 1.3% of the tsetse infested area. Although extensive trypanosomiasis and tsetse (T&T) control operations have been running since the beginning of the 20th century, Animal African Trypanosomiasis is still a major constraint of livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a systematic review of the existing literature describing T&T control programmes conducted in a selection of five African countries, namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia, between 1980 and 2015. Sixty-eight documents were eventually selected from those identified by the database search. This was supplemented with information gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted with twelve key informants recruited in the study countries and selected based on their experience and knowledge of T&T control. The combined information from these two sources was used to describe the inputs, processes and outcomes from 23 major T&T control programmes implemented in the study countries. Although there were some data gaps, involvement of the target communities and sustainability of the control activities were identified as the two main issues faced by these programmes. Further, there was a lack of evaluation of these control programmes, as well as a lack of a standardised methodology to conduct such evaluations. Conclusions/Significance Past experiences demonstrated that coordinated and sustained control activities require careful planning, and evidence of successes, failures and setbacks from past control programmes represent a mine of information. As there is a lack of evaluation of these programmes, these data have not been fully exploited for the design, analyses and justification of future control programmes

Review of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB: global perspectives with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global emergency and is responsible for 1.7 million deaths annually. Widespread global misuse of isoniazid and rifampicin over three decades has resulted in emergence of the ominous spread of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) globally. These difficult to treat resistant forms of TB are increasingly seen in Asia, Eastern Europe, South America and sub-Saharan Africa, disrupting TB and HIV control programmes. We review the latest available global epidemiological and clinical evidence on drug-resistant TB in HIV-infected and uninfected populations, with focus on Africa where data are scanty because of poor diagnostic and reporting facilities. The difficult management and infection control problems posed by drug-resistant TB in HIV-infected patients are discussed. Given the increasing current global trends in MDR-TB, aggressive preventive and management strategies are urgently required to avoid disruption of global TB control efforts. The data suggest that existing interventions, public health systems and TB and HIV programmes must be strengthened significantly. Political and funder commitment is essential to curb the spread of drug-resistant TB

Culture-specific programs for children and adults from minority groups who have asthma (Review)

Background People with asthma who come from minority groups have poorer asthma outcomes and more asthma related visits to Emergency Departments (ED). Various programmes are used to educate and empower people with asthma and these have previously been shown to improve certain asthma outcomes. Models of care for chronic diseases in minority groups usually include a focus of the cultural context of the individual and not just the symptoms of the disease. Therefore, questions about whether culturally specific asthma education programmes for people from minority groups are effective at improving asthma outcomes, are feasible and are cost-effective need to be answered. Objectives To determine whether culture-specific asthma programmes, in comparison to generic asthma education programmes or usual care, improve asthma related outcomes in children and adults with asthma who belong to minority groups. Search strategy We searched the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, review articles and reference lists of relevant articles. The latest search was performed in May 2008. Selection criteria All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the use of culture-specific asthma education programmes with generic asthma education programmes, or usual care, in adults or children from minority groups who suffer from asthma. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently selected, extracted and assessed the data for inclusion. We contacted authors for further information if required. Main results Four studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. A total of 617 patients, aged from 5 to 59 years were included in the meta-analysis of data. Use of a culture-specific programme was superior to generic programmes or usual care, in improving asthma quality of life scores in adults, pooled WMD 0.25 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.41), asthma knowledge scores in children, WMD 3.30 (95% CI 1.07 to 5.53), and in a single study, reducing asthma exacerbation in children (risk ratio for hospitalisations 0.32, 95% CI 0.15, 0.70). Authors' conclusions Current limited data show that culture-specific programmes for adults and children from minority groups with asthma, are more effective than generic programmes in improving most (quality of life, asthma knowledge, asthma exacerbations, asthma control) but not all asthma outcomes. This evidence is limited by the small number of included studies and the lack of reported outcomes. Further trials are required to answer this question conclusively

Sustainability Capacity of HIV/AIDS Programmes in YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia

The Indonesian government established the prevalence target of HIV <0.50% in 2019 to control the spreading of HIV through the National Medium Term Development Plan. To ensure the sustainability of this development plan, a study of the strategic capacity of HIV/AIDS programmes is needed to provide an overview so that the program can be sustained over time. This study aimed to explore the sustainability capacity of HIV/AIDS programmes in Yogyakarta. This was a descriptive study utilizing a qualitative approach. The study involved 42 participants as key informants selected by a purposive sampling technique, and the data were examined using content analysis. By setting priorities of the local government supported by the Provincial Health Office and with the coordination of the Yogyakarta Province AIDS Commission, the programs are able to maintain sustainable HIV and AIDS programmes in Yogyakarta. Funding capacity, evaluation, programme adaptation and communication have not been optimal to ensure the sustainability. Stability of funding is the main obstacle to achieving the sustainability of HIV and AIDS programs. However, with good planning, partnership structure and sufficient organizational capacity, this approach can ensure the HIV and AIDS programmes will continue with the targets set by the Yogyakarta Provincial Health Office. The government in Yogyakarta needs to increase funding capacity, and improve communication to ensure sustainability. The strategy should include adaptation and evaluation of programs through strengthening private sector financing, formulating a communication plan and improving the capacity to respond to change